An application window for Montgomery County’s Whole Home Repairs Program is now open, offering some financial relief to help low-income property owners make improvements on their homes.
Montgomery County homeowners making less than 80 percent of the area median income, a figure set at $114,000, are eligible to apply for grants of up to $50,000. Median income is based on household size, according to county figures, income levels cannot exceed those listed at $62,500 for a one-bedroom, $71,400 for a two-person household, $80,350 for a three-person household, and $89,250 for a four-person household, and $96,400 for a five-person household.
"One of our goals of this program is to ensure that Montgomery County residents, especially households with young children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities, can keep their homes safe and functioning,” Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello said in a statement. "And the impacts will be long-ranging: from lower utility bills today to updated housing stock for future generations.”
The initiative is overseen by county and state housing offices as the funding is slated to assist homeowners with accessibility, habitability and weatherization improvements.
Qualifying projects could include plumbing, electrical and foundation repairs, roof or rain gutter replacements, widening sidewalks or doorways, installing hand or guide rails, or repairing a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, according to the Montgomery County Whole Home Repairs Program website.
"The Whole Home Repairs Program will give Montgomery County homeowners access the funds needed to weatherize their homes so that everyone has a safe place to live,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Neil Makhija In a statement.
He stressed the importance of addressing issues in homes brought on by climate change and instances of severe weather.
The application window will remain open until April 12, according to a county spokesperson.
Prioritization could be made for aging infrastructure, households with vulnerable populations and individuals with disabilities, according to the county’s Whole Home Repairs Program website.
It’s unclear how many applications representatives from the program may receive, but Montgomery County Housing and Community Development Administrator Kayleigh Silver previously said they hope to aid between 100 and 150 households.
"Our communities are experiencing both a housing affordability crisis and a climate crisis, and this initiative addresses both for the 865,000 residents of Montgomery County,” Makhija said.
Visit montgomerycountypa.gov/whole-home-repairs-program-whrp for more information.
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